What Women Mean When They Say "I Don't Like Beer"

Feb072011

You can usually find a beer a women will enjoy

When the average woman says they don’t like beer, they overwhelmingly mean a few things, all along the same vein.

1. Most commonly: they don’t like the beers they’ve had previously. Bear in mind it could have been ‘bad’ keg beer at a high school or college party, beer that had gone bad through oxidation/other off flavor issues, beer that has a negative context – like they drank to much of it and got sick and never want to see that beer again, or simply they don’t like the flavor the beer offers whether or not they realize it.

2. Another iteration: they say ‘I don’t like beer’ and they immediately follow it up with a ” except XY and Z.” So they really do like very specific kinds of beer. They unfortunately lump all beer into the same beer with a capital B together.

3. Some simply don’t like what they’ve had, and are absolutely not interested. So let it go. Pushing them into something they already have a negative image of won’t help anyone. Find out what they do enjoy instead (with or without alcohol).

Here’s what you can do about it. When that phrase exits their mouths, ask them – very non threateningly or accusingly – what they mean? Do they mean they haven’t enjoyed the beers they have had or one of the other scenarios list above in #1.

I was at a party just yesterday and this very thing happened. When I wear my WEB shirts, the conversation seems to start quite easily. People immediately feel compelled to comment and it’s more like a confession for some. I Like Beer. Or (leaning in) I Don’t Like Beer. The important thing to keep in mind is the entry into the topic.

The host flatly stated she didn’t like beer…but….and proceeded to unknowingly correct herself. It’d be like someone saying I don’t like wearing shorts…but on a hot day I like short pants/long shorts/a skirt/a kilt. It’s up to you to decipher and offer an appealing direction.

Find out what kinds of beers they do like, or wines they like, or foods they like and then put your head to matching flavors. So many people like coffee and chocolate that this entrance (into the stout direction) is almost a gimme.

So next time you hear that phrase come out of a woman’s mouth, or man’s for that matter, chase it diplomatically and curiously. When you do it with respect and perhaps suggest, as appropriate, you can make progress.